1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to footwear, and in particular an article of footwear for contact sports.
2. Description of Related Art
Articles of footwear for contact sports, and in particular articles of footwear with multiple openings intended for use in martial arts or other contact sports have been previously proposed.
Song (U.S. patent number 20060317224) teaches a foot protection device adapted to protect feet when training and playing fighting games. The device includes an opening configured for insertion of the foot; an anterior hole disposed along the bottom of the device and configured to be disposed against the ball of the foot; a posterior hole configured for insertion of the heel; and toe holes configured to receive toes.
Song further teaches an article of footwear that includes an instep protective cover, disposed along the instep region and an ankle protective cover, disposed along the ankle portion. In the Song device, the ankle protective cover is associated with the instep protective cover. The ankle protective cover includes a coupling part, which is a portion that is attached directly to the exterior cover of the device, and a flap that extends from the coupling part. The flap may be disposed adjacent to the instep protective cover.
Andujar (U.S. Pat. No. 5,211,672) teaches a protective shoe for use in contact sports of the martial arts. Andujar teaches a unitary member constructed of a foam base defining an opening and side slits into which a foot can be inserted. Also, a bottom or sole member is glued to the upper. The sole member has a heel opening and a ball of foot opening and is constructed of nylon-reinforced vinyl.
Rhee (U.S. Pat. No. 3,949,493) teaches a protective shoe adapted to protect the foot of the wearer for use in karate, kung fu, etc. The shoe is constructed of a casing containing an energy-absorbent soft resilient material. The shoe is substantially open at the bottom. The bottom of the shoe comprises a retaining means along the bottom of the shoe. The retaining means includes a peripheral rim, a cross medial portion and two toe portions.
While the related art teaches various forms of articles of footwear with anterior openings, there are many shortcomings. The prior art does not teach pads on either the lateral or medial side of the foot protection device. Also, the prior art does not teach a pad disposed along the malleolus of the ankle (on either the lateral or medial sides). Furthermore, the prior art does not teach an anterior opening that is sufficiently wide. There is a need in the art for an article of footwear that includes additional pads to help prevent injury. Additionally, there is a need in the art for footwear that includes a larger anterior opening to increase the surface area of the foot that is in contact with the ground and can provide better feel, thus helping the wearer achieve greater balance.